STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) Shares Acquired by State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System

State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System grew its holdings in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE - Free Report) by 3.2% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 106,346 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock after buying an additional 3,342 shares during the period. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System owned 0.11% of STERIS worth $23,909,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Fenimore Asset Management Inc. raised its position in shares of STERIS by 13.1% in the fourth quarter. Fenimore Asset Management Inc. now owns 210,747 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $46,333,000 after buying an additional 24,377 shares during the last quarter. Caden Capital Partners LP raised its position in shares of STERIS by 80.0% in the fourth quarter. Caden Capital Partners LP now owns 82,312 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $18,096,000 after buying an additional 36,576 shares during the last quarter. Cullen Investment Group LTD. acquired a new stake in shares of STERIS in the fourth quarter valued at about $1,351,000. Diversify Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of STERIS in the first quarter valued at about $903,000. Finally, Cerity Partners LLC increased its position in STERIS by 5,199.4% during the fourth quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 65,925 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $14,494,000 after purchasing an additional 64,681 shares during the last quarter. 94.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently issued reports on STE. Needham & Company LLC restated a "hold" rating on shares of STERIS in a research report on Friday, May 10th. JMP Securities restated a "market outperform" rating and set a $265.00 price objective on shares of STERIS in a research report on Thursday, May 9th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of STERIS from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, June 15th. Finally, Piper Sandler restated a "neutral" rating and set a $225.00 price objective (up from $220.00) on shares of STERIS in a research report on Friday, May 10th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, STERIS presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $241.60.

Insider Activity

In other news, VP Renato Tamaro sold 1,154 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $231.64, for a total value of $267,312.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 6,677 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,546,660.28. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, Director Jacqueline B. Kosecoff sold 4,584 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $231.53, for a total value of $1,061,333.52. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, VP Renato Tamaro sold 1,154 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $231.64, for a total transaction of $267,312.56. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 6,677 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,546,660.28. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 7,762 shares of company stock valued at $1,798,477. 1.14% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

STERIS Trading Down 1.4 %

STE stock traded down $3.19 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $225.52. 370,683 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 488,206. The company has a quick ratio of 2.36, a current ratio of 3.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. The firm has a market capitalization of $22.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 58.79 and a beta of 0.83. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $223.69 and a 200-day simple moving average of $221.31. STERIS plc has a 12-month low of $195.47 and a 12-month high of $254.00.

STERIS (NYSE:STE - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, May 8th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.41 by $0.17. The company had revenue of $1.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.41 billion. STERIS had a net margin of 6.95% and a return on equity of 13.73%. STERIS's revenue was up 10.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.30 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts predict that STERIS plc will post 9.24 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 26th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, June 12th were paid a $0.52 dividend. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.92%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, June 12th. STERIS's payout ratio is 54.45%.

STERIS Company Profile

STERIS plc provides infection prevention products and services worldwide. It operates through four segments: Healthcare, Applied Sterilization Technologies, Life Sciences, and Dental. The Healthcare segment offers cleaning chemistries and sterility assurance products; automated endoscope reprocessing system and tracking products; endoscopy accessories, washers, sterilizers, and other pieces of capital equipment for the operation of a sterile processing department; and equipment used directly in the operating room, including surgical tables, lights, and connectivity solutions, as well as equipment management services.